See it: Atmospheric river triggers California landslides, high-water rescues
First responders are working overtime across California as the third storm in a week batters the state. Here are some of the scenes Californians have become all too familiar with.
Atmospheric river storm lashes California again
FOX Weather's Max Gorden is live in Ventura County, California, where crews are still clearing away a landslide from a road, one of the many landslides the state has seen so far.
Another atmospheric river is slamming California, triggering dangerous landslides and flooding.
Winter is California's rainy season, but many residents need a break from the seemingly broken record of atmospheric river-fueled storms lashing the state. This storm is the third in a series, and it is backed up by an atmospheric river to supercharge the winds, rain and even bring a threat of severe thunderstorms.
Storm after storm has already saturated the ground, so the new rain has nowhere to go. Across the state, low-lying roads are underwater. Fast-rising water took a couple in Sacramento County by surprise while driving. They were able to call 9-1-1 and climb on the roof of the car to wait for the fire department.
LANDSLIDES BLOCK ROADS AS CALIFORNIA FACES RARE TORNADO THREAT DURING ATMOSPHERIC RIVER
California atmospheric river triggers water rescue
Crews had to rescue a driver and passenger trapped in their car in a boat. Floodwaters from the last of a series of atmospheric river storms overwhelmed the car in Sacramento County.
Crews had to use a boat to get to the car. They walked the boat back to the roadside-turned-shoreline. The car was going nowhere fast. The department said the water needs to recede before they can tow out the car.
A whole neighborhood flooded in Willows, which is located in north central California.
"We have a couple different engines out here trying to pump water out some of the roads," Engineer Dan said in the post. "We got pretty much all hands on deck, the best we can to mitigate the flooding. So there are a lot of us here."
One road in Montecito became part of a waterfall.
Watch: Roads flooded in Montecito after atmospheric river dumps heavy rain in California
Roads in Montecito have been flooded after an atmospheric river dumped heavy rain on California on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024.
Other roads in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, are covered under inches of soil after a mudslide. Look at the huge boulder that also landed in the center of the street.
Flooding in Santa Barbara County on Feb. 19, 2024. (Image: Santa Barbara Public Works)
(Santa Barbara Public Works / FOX Weather)
It was tough to make out the road under one of the landslides that closed the Pacific Coast Highway through Big Sur.
WHY CALIFORNIA IS PRIMED FOR LANDSLIDES
Tons of rock cover Highway 1 in Big Sur.
(CalTrans District 5)
Crews in Del Norte County managed to clear at least one lane after a hillside gave way.
WATCH: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOMES DANGLE ON EDGE OF CLIFF AFTER STORMS CAUSE EROSION
This was the scene at Highway 101 in Last Chance Grade on Monday morning.
(Cal Trans District 1 / FOX Weather)
The slide started with storm number 2 on Friday. The wet soils could no longer hold tree roots, letting them fall across the road.
Trees fell on homes, cars, power lines and roads.
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Image 1 of 4Crew cleared multiple fallen trees in Santa Cruz. (California Governor's Office of Emergency Services)
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Image 2 of 4(CHP Santa Cruz)
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Image 3 of 4Crew cleared multiple fallen trees in Santa Cruz. (California Governor's Office of Emergency Services)
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Image 4 of 4A large tree crashes down on a car in Santa Rosa, California, on Saturday. ( )
Overnight, the runoff eroded a 6-foot section of highway in the San Francisco Bay Area. Just in time for the morning commute, crews had to run one-way traffic control.
Officials have no estimated time for opening both lanes again.
(CHP Dublin Area)
The storm churned enormous waves that pounded the Pacifica Pier. The structure just reopened days ago after massive waves tore away part of the pier during the last round of storms.
Huge waves pound California pier
FOX Weather's Robert Ray takes us to Pacifica where huge waves are pounding the Pacifica Pier, which just reopened after storm damage repairs from the last set of storms to hit the state.
Just before a live report, FOX Weather's Robert Ray got a little too close. He said it was "very cold water" but made it through the rest of the morning a little damp.
Watch: Reporter a little too close to the California surf
Just before a live report, FOX Weather's Robert Ray got a little too close to the crashing waves on the Pacifica Pier. Watch him jump out of the way as the wave comes over him.